Airline and charter service provider Helijet has sent a Sikorsky S-76A utility helicopter to Ukraine to aid the war-torn country amidst Russia’s continued aggression.
Sourced from the Canadian company’s fully operational fleet, the system incorporates emergency capabilities to assist the government in its medical evacuation missions.
The firm noted that the aircraft have been an effective asset in its previous role under contract with Canada’s national health agency, specifically in moving patients across the British Columbia region.
Although it has been removed from Ottawa’s federal service, the aircraft still has “years” of flight operability to undertake deployments in Kyiv.
Demonstrating ‘Canadian Resolve’
The project to deliver the S-76A platform to Ukraine was made possible after eight months in partnership with the Ukrainian World Congress, Ukraine-based rehabilitation group Initiative E+, and Vancouver-based non-profit organization Maple Hope Foundation.
The decision to greenlight the donation was approved on the condition that the rotary wing system would be used exclusively for non-commercial medivac and humanitarian flights for “individuals in need of urgent medical care to hospitals in Ukraine.”
Although the S-76A ambulance is the organization’s first private aircraft donation to Ukraine, Helijet highlighted that it had been supporting the Ukrainian government since Moscow’s armed forces crossed the country’s borders in 2022.
Helijet’s efforts include relief assistance and medical supply shipment coordination in collaboration with local Canadian charities.
Helijet President Danny Sitnam also opened his own home in Canada two months after Russia’s attack on Ukraine and supported three families that fled the conflict until they could settle in Vancouver.
“When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and displaced Ukrainians began arriving in Canada in unprecedented numbers, Danny Sitnam and his family were among the first to extend a helping hand. Since that moment, Danny and the entire Helijet team have been unwavering in their support of Maple Hope’s relief efforts for Ukraine,” Maple Hope Foundation CEO Svitlana Kominko stated.
“Helijet’s donation of the Sikorsky S-76 medevac helicopter is not only extraordinarily generous, but also historically significant, demonstrating the resolve of Canadians united in support for Ukraine during the third year of the full-scale invasion — not through words, but bold, transformative actions that will directly save lives.”
‘Game-Changer’
Ukrainian World Congress President Paul Grod also commented on Helijet’s S-76A donation, saying that it “is a powerful testament to the unbreakable bond and unwavering support from Ukraine’s allies in Canada.”
“This life-saving air ambulance will be a game-changer, delivering critical medical aid to those suffering in the war-torn regions of Ukraine,” Grod said.
The S-76A
The Sikorsky S-76A medium-sized helicopter measures 53 feet (16 meters) long and has the capacity for up to 13 passengers.
It is equipped with two 980-horsepower Turbomeca Arriel turboshaft engines for a speed of over 170 miles (274 kilometers) per hour, a range of 470 miles (756 kilometers), and an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,572 meters).
